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The debate between modern and classic romance anime has been ongoing for decades. While classic anime offers a nostalgic hit, modern anime offers better animation and a less problematic plot. However, series like NANA, Fruits Basket, and Ouran High School Host Club can never be replaced by modern anime, and there’s a good reason for it.
From the lack of originality to less development in the series, the problems that modern anime face are endless. While some series manage to shine, others fall into the black hole of cliched plots and characters.
Modern anime lacks the originality of classic romance series
NANA | Credits: Studio MadhouseSince classic anime came first, there was way more scope for exploration. They had the edge of being the trendsetters during their time, something that classic series took full advantage of. While modern anime can offer better visuals and animation, the plot can feel cliched at times. Additionally, the character designs in the vintage series were much better than the copy-paste faces that you get today. Take up any harem isekai anime, and the only difference between the female characters are their clothes and the colors of their irises and hair.
Series like Fruits Basket, Kimi ni Todoke, NANA, and others are not just about romance but the development of each and every character. While some problematic plot elements existed, like coercing a potential partner into a relationship or being outright creepy to win someone over, there were plenty of twists to still keep the audience engaged.
Fruits Basket | Credits: Studio DeenOf course, nostalgia also plays a big role in this. People often begin their anime journeys with classic series, which later become a comfort watch. With modern anime, people are ready to point out mistakes and even quicker to stage them as problematic. But at the end of the day, no matter how much modern romance tries to break out of the mold, it still feels like the story has been executed before.
Quality over quantity
A decade or two ago, when anime did not have as much exposure as today, studios actually focused on the storytelling and quality of the story. Only those manga that were extremely popular got picked up for anime. Original anime were also more in number than the present. But as viewership increased, studios began their cash-grab tendencies, and even series that are extremely cliched with no originality are being picked up for anime adaptations.
Ouran High School Host Club | Credits: Studio BonesAdditionally, vintage series that you are currently a fan of have survived the test of time. The anime that were mediocre in the 90s, 2000s, and early 2010s never actually reached you, which makes people have a biased opinion of old anime. Modern anime, on the other hand, are easily available on streaming platforms, and you have to go through a trial-and-error procedure to choose your favorite. This might give you a skewed opinion that all vintage series are better while modern anime is full of mediocre series.
Last but not least, modern anime often fails to show proper depth, be it in characters or plot development. Most creators are satisfied by including a bunch of genres like comedy, adventure, romance, and action all into one anime, just to appeal to a wider audience base. Unfortunately, not enough effort goes into developing even a single one of the genres. Classic anime often focused on a single niche and expanded on it to kingdom come.
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